This part of the site features monthly devotional
thoughts by the Association's Chaplain, with the goal of encouraging Signal
Corps OCS Graduates to be exceptional in their lives and to live life at a
higher level. Our current Chaplain is of
the Christian faith, so naturally, his devotionals are fashioned around his
Christian beliefs.Your comments and
suggestions are welcome and can be offered directly to the Chaplain by eMail at:
MaxHolt@ArmySignalOCS.com

by LTC (R) Max Holt, Class 02-67

October 2015

A DAY AT THE BEACH

It was a little rainy that day but it sure was HOT!

September 1 – 12, 2015, Sandy and I took a trip
to England and France. It was an early celebration of our 50th
Anniversary…October 21, 1965. Other than almost getting killed,
driving on the LEFT while sitting on the RIGHT side of the car, it
was our most memorable trip overseas.

On September 5th we took the overnight ferry
from Portsmouth, England, to the port near Caen, France, arriving on
Sunday the 6th. We took the bus to Caen. We had booked a Hertz
Rental Car…BUT, the rental office was not open on Sunday! So, we
took the train to Bayeux, where we were booked into a nice Bead &
Breakfast. We had intended to tour the area on our own, including
the Normandy beaches. Without a car, that didn’t work out so we
booked a guided tour the next morning, of Omaha Beach, Pointe Du Hoc
(where the Rangers scaled vertical cliffs) and the American Cemetery
at
Colleville-sur-Mer.

At Point Du Hoc I was in awe of those young
Rangers who scaled those cliffs and took their objective in just a
couple of hours. At the cemetery I was humbled to stand among the
reminders of so many who had given so much. But, it was at Omaha
Beach that I was most impacted. Tourist Season was over and we were
almost the only ones on the beach. I went down on the seawall and
stood looking out toward England. The water was still at a somewhat
lower tide, much like the day those 100,000+ allies landed on all
five beaches. Our day was nice and sunny. On June 6, 1944, it was
windy and rainy; a miserable day for much of anything on a beach. As I stood there, the wind was from the sea, making my eyes a little
watery.J I was amazed at the expanse of beach those soldiers had
to cross, under German fire. As a helicopter pilot in Vietnam I
have seen a few green tracers coming at me. But we had a Mini-Gun
and a 50 Cal to shoot back. In 1944 those young allied soldiers
came ashore with M1s, no protection and had to cross almost a
quarter-mile of open beach, filled with mines and obstacles, under
constant fire to reach the seawall. Then they had to climb almost
vertical embankments to reach and destroy the German bunkers. My
admiration for those young guys and their leaders almost overwhelmed
me. I raised my right hand and saluted their courage and their
legacy. Finally, I went down to the base of the seawall and
collected a large container of sand, possibly the same sand that was
there That Day.

I came away wondering how different the USA
would be if every American was required to visit those beaches. The
vast majority, including politicians, have no clue what our freedom
has cost over the years of our existence. It seems that our
entitlement-minded society has lost the appreciation for how special
the USA really is. So few people seem willing to fight passionately
against the decay of the values and principles that have carved out
this experiment in freedom. Many of you will remember the
saying
that came out of Vietnam; “You’ve never lived until you’ve almost
died. Freedom has a flavor the protected will never taste.” That
day, on the beach with the wind in my face…the taste was obvious. If you have never been to the
BEACH, move it to the top of your
Bucket List.

Because of them I am blessed more than I
deserve,
Max Holt, Class 02-67, Association Chaplain